press release from US Attorney Western District Texas…Indictment of Guzman & other Sinaloa cartel figures…

This is the text of the press release… The pdf of the indictment is
attached…Funny…who would have thought he had not yet been indicted?
Maybe these are new charges? All’s I know is what I read in the papers…
molly

Robert Pitman, U.S. Attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On the web: www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/index.html
Daryl Fields, Public Information Officer
(210) 384-7440
April 24, 2012
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS

SINALOA CARTEL LEADERS “EL CHAPO” GUZMAN, “MAYO” ZAMBADA

AND 22 OTHER HIGH RANKING SINALOA CARTEL MEMBERS

RICO indictment alleges conspiracy to commit murder, kidnaping, money
laundering and drug distribution
United States Attorney Robert Pitman, DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M.
Arabit, FBI
Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan and ATF Special Agent in Charge Robert
Champion today
announced the indictment of Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo,” Ismael
Zambada Garcia aka
“Mayo,” and 22 other individuals responsible for the operations and
management of the Sinaloa Cartel
(Cartel) charging them with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations (RICO) Act.
The fourteen-count grand jury indictment, returned on April 11, 2012, and
unsealed today, charges
conspiracy to violate the RICO statute; conspiracy to possess more than
five kilograms of cocaine and
over 1000 kilograms of marijuana; conspiracy to import more than five
kilograms of cocaine and 1000
kilograms of marijuana; conspiracy to commit money laundering; conspiracy
to possess firearms in
furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; murder in furtherance of a
continuing criminal enterprise (CCE)
or drug trafficking; engaging in a CCE in furtherance of drug trafficking;
conspiracy to kill in a foreign
country; kidnapping; and violent crimes in aid of racketeering.
The other 22 defendants charged in this indictment include:
German (Last Name Unknown) aka “Paisa,” “German Olivares”;

– more – Chapo Guzman indictment release
April 24, 2011
Page 2
According to the indictment, the purpose of the Sinaloa Cartel is to
smuggle large quantities of
marijuana and cocaine, as well as other drugs, into the United States for
distribution. Laundered
proceeds of drug trafficking activities are returned to Cartel members and
are used in part to purchase
properties related to the daily functioning of the Cartel, including real
estate, firearms, ammunition,
bullet proof vests, radios, telephones, uniforms and vehicles. In an
effort to maintain control of all
aspects of their operations, the Cartel and it’s associates, including
members of the Gente Nueva (“New
People”) and the Artistas Asesinos (“Murder artists”), kidnap, torture and
murder those who lose or steal
assets belonging to, are disloyal to, or are enemies of the Cartel. This
includes the Juarez Cartel led by
Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, a competing drug organization, as well as it’s
enforcement arm known as La
Linea and the Barrio Aztecas. Oftentimes, murders committed by the Cartel
involve brutal acts of
violence as well the public display of the victim along with banners
bearing written warnings to those
who would cross the Cartel.
“Murder, kidnapping, money laundering and drug trafficking are the four
corners of this organization’s
foundation,” stated U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman. “For years, their
violence, ruthlessness and complete
disregard for human life and the rule of law have greatly impacted the
citizens of the Republic of
Mexico and the United States. They must be held accountable for their
criminal actions.”
This investigation resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of
cocaine, and thousands of pounds
of marijuana in cities throughout the United States. Law enforcement also
took possession of millions
of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the
Cartel in Mexico. Agents and
officers likewise seized hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of
ammunition intended to be
smuggled into Mexico to assist the Cartel’s battle to take control of one
of the key drug trafficking
corridors used to bring drugs into the United States.
“This indictment is the result of a complex, long-term investigation by DEA
and our law enforcement
partners in the US and Mexico, targeting the Sinaloa Cartel at its highest
levels. In addition to
violations relating to the trafficking of huge quantities of cocaine and
marijuana, the charges encompass
money laundering, weapons smuggling, kidnappings and murders employed by
the cartel to fund,
expand and protect its far-reaching criminal enterprise. These charges are
an important step in bringing
to justice those responsible for supplying a large portion of the illegal
drugs flowing into communities in
the United States through the El Paso area, as well as much of the violence
that has ravaged neighboring
Ciudad Juarez,” said Joseph M. Arabit, Special Agent in Charge, Drug
Enforcement Administration-El
Paso Division.
The indictment references two acts of violence allegedly committed by
members of the Cartel. First, the
indictment alleges that in September 2009, Jose Antonio Torres Marrufo,
Gabino Salas-Valenciano,
Fernando Arellano-Romero and Mario Iglesias-Villegas, under the leadership
of Joaquin Guzman and
Ismael Zambada, conspired to kidnap and murder a Horizon City, Texas,
resident. Specifically, Jose
Antonio Torres Marrufo ordered the kidnapping of the victim to answer for
the loss of a 670-pound load
of marijuana seized by Border Patrol at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint on
August 5, 2009. After the
kidnapping, the victim was taken to Juarez where Torres Marrufo
interrogated him and ordered that he
be killed. On September 8, 2009, the victim’s mutilated body was discovered
in Juarez.
– more – Chapo Guzman indictment release
April 24, 2011
Page 3
Second, the indictment alleges that on May 7, 2010, Jose Torres Marrufo,
Fernando Arellano-Romero
and Mario Iglesias-Villegas, under the leadership of Joaquin Guzman and
Ismael Zambada, conspired to
kidnap and murder an American citizen and two members of his family.
Specifically, Torres Marrufo
caused an individual in El Paso to travel to a wedding ceremony in Juarez
to confirm the identity of a
target. The target was the groom, a United States citizen and a resident of
Columbus, NM. Under
Torres Marrufo’s orders, the groom, his brother and his uncle were all
kidnapped during the wedding
ceremony and subsequently tortured and murdered. Their bodies were
discovered by Juarez police a
few days later in the bed of an abandoned pickup truck. Additionally, a
fourth person was killed during
the kidnapping at the wedding ceremony.
“This indictment has been years in the making, the focus being to dismantle
the Sinaloa Cartel by
focusing on its upper echelon. The indictment represents the unwavering
commitment and collaboration
among the law enforcement community to bring justice to those who have
inflicted unconscionable
violence on so many citizens on both sides of the border. We are sending a
clear message that we will
continue our relentless pursuit of drug trafficking organizations
responsible for such wide-spread
devastation within our communities,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge
Mark Morgan.
“This highly cooperative investigation shows that law enforcement can make
significant inroads into
drug trafficking organizations and that the major players are not immune
from prosecution. This also
relates to the illegal firearm traffickers who support such organizations
and are responsible for the
violence and bloodshed that is occurring,” stated ATF Special Agent in
Charge Robert Champion.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration,
Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
together with the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations,
United States Border Patrol,
Customs and Border Protection, United States Marshals Service, El Paso
Police Department, El Paso
Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety. United States
Attorney Robert Pitman also
expresses his appreciation to New Mexico United States Attorney Ken
Gonzalez and his attorneys;
Attorney General of Mexico Marisela Morales and her attorneys; and, to law
enforcement authorities in
Mexico for their assistance.
Upon conviction, the defendants face up to life in federal prison. Three of
the 14 counts (7,11,14)–
which involve the kidnapping and murder of a resident of Horizon City and
three members of a wedding
party in Juarez–may result in the imposition of the death penalty upon
conviction.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should
not be considered as
evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty
in a court of law.
#####

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Virginia is a journalist based in Los Angeles who's written for publications including Los Angeles magazine, Upworthy, and Elite Daily. She was born in Argentina and raised in the San Fernando Valley along with her three siblings. Fun fact: She took a Chicanas and Feminism course with Eva Longoria while studying for her master's in mass communication at California State University, Northridge. Follow her on Twitter @virginiaisaad